If Only For A Moment
by charmings88
Summary: Set in Season 3 (first couple of episodes). Emma is having trouble sleeping in Neverland, but she isn't the only one who can't sleep. First fanfic so leave comments!


**Disclaimer: _Once Upon A Time _and its characters belong to Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and are owned by ABC. Not Mine! **

**Author's Note: Just a theory I have had about Emma hearing the lost children crying in Neverland. This is my first fanfiction so any comments would be great!**

**If only for a moment**

Another night in Neverland, Emma is tossing and turning just like every other night she has been here. If only she could block out the sounds of the children crying, but it is not that easy especially when she is wondering if Henry is one of them. Emma groans and decides to give up on sleep. She gets up and walks over to the fire.

"You can't sleep either?"

Emma jumps at his voice then sees Charming sitting against a log by the fire. "Oh, David. Sleep is a little harder to come by in Neverland it seems." Emma replies as she sits next to him. "What are you doing up?"

Charming can see the circles under her eyes from the lack of sleep since she has been on the island. Snow told him that Emma can hear the lost children crying at night which is keeping her up.

"I just have a lot on my mind." Charming replies sadly. Which he does. After hearing from Hook that he only has days to weeks left to live from the Dreamshade wound, Charming has been wrestling with himself on whether he should tell Snow and Emma. He keeps coming to the conclusion that it wouldn't do any good for them to know since there is nothing they could do. Anyway, he does not want to distract them from finding Henry.

"Do you think we will ever find him?" Emma asks as she stares into the flames looking so vulnerable and weary.

Charming hates that she is hurting and wishes he could make everything right again. He gently turns her towards him. "This family always finds each other. We will find Henry. Just like we always find each other." Charming replies confidently, without a shadow of doubt.

Emma looks into his eyes and knows that her father is telling her the truth. As a tear escapes her, she thinks about how she hates this place because of how it affects her emotions. But, he is looking at her with such love that it is overwhelming and she cannot help, but trust him.

Charming wipes the tear away from her cheek and smiles softly. "We will find him, Emma."

"I know." Emma smiles and then feels the exhaustion from the lack of sleep. It is then that Emma realizes that she cannot hear the crying anymore and she hasn't heard it since her father gently turned her to him. It may just be a coincidence so she tries it out.

Charming is watching Emma as she gets a confused look on her face, which is so much like Snow. He hates the thought of leaving them behind. Just then Emma pulls away from him for a second before grabbing his hand.

"What's wrong Emma?" Charming asks in a concerned voice.

"I can't hear the crying when you are touching me, but once you aren't I can hear them again." Emma says looking dumbstruck.

Charming smiles. He is glad that at least he can help her with something. "Maybe you should try to get some sleep then." Charming says as he wraps his arm around her.

Emma tenses as first at the contact, but then leans her head on his shoulder. "Thank you, Dad." Emma says before closing her eyes.

Charming is overjoyed and saddened at the same time. That is the second time Emma has called him "Dad." Yet, he cannot help, but feel sad at the thought of leaving her especially when they are just getting to know each other. A tear slips from his eye as he kisses her hair and whispers. "Sleep well, princess."

Even if nothing is solved, Charming decides to cherish this moment, when he gets to hold his girl in his arms even if it is only for a moment. It is then that he realizes that he feels no pain from his Dreamshade wound, but maybe that is just a coincidence, or maybe not. Charming smiles and drifts off to sleep as well, with his daughter safely tucked under his arm.


End file.
